Snow Daze

I am not a complainer by nature.  It is simply not my style.  Do not get me wrong.  I occasionally vent; but, for the most part, I try to accept what is going on around me with grace (or resignation, take your pick). That being said, I have found this winter particularly rough.  I know, I know, I live in the northeast.  I expect cold and snow and ice and sleet.  It is winter. I just find it to be a little harder to deal with this year.  The cold has been extreme and the jet stream keeps tossing snow/ice our way.  The cozy hibernation feel of early winter (warm beverages by the fireplace) has given way to cabin fever and way too many glasses of wine by the fireplace.  Add two very active children into this mix and it is understandable why I need a Spring intervention.

That being said, some parts of winter have been fun. I think the hard part about winter is you have to really work for your fun.  It is not as easy as running outside with a picnic lunch, a box of sidewalk chalk, and bubbles.  It takes more tactical planning.  Is it snowing?  Above freezing?  Is there ice on the road?  I have spent many evenings combing blogs, Pinterest, Facebook status updates, and magazines for things to do with the kids.  It is exhausting. So, to save some of you from the same exhaustion, I have compiled a list of a few things we have done this winter.  They have been fun and have put smiles on our faces as we weather the weather.

Things to do in the house (for when weather is below freezing/storming or for when you feel too lazy to get out of your pajamas):

Movie Time- We love movies all year long; but, during the winter, I pull out the stops and make it an experience.  For instance, I let the kids do things like eat popcorn outside of the kitchen (totally in violation of a major house rule).  They spread out their sleeping bags on the floor and I put on the fireplace so the room's only light comes from the glow of the television and the fire.  If you are sick of all the movies you own, many local libraries have movies you can borrow.

Hidden toys- At the risk of sounding mean, I will confess that I take some of the toys my kids get for holidays and birthdays and hide them.  I don't take what they obviously fall in love with the minute it is opened.  I take the things that did not get a super enthusiastic reception and put them in my closet.  Boy, do those toys get a hero's welcome on a day we are stuck in the house, and as an added bonus, I get some much needed sanity as they happily play with their "new" things.

Cardboard Boxes- Break them down and store them someplace.  They don't take up a ton of room and reassemble in a snap.  Pull the boxes out along with some markers and don't expect to hear from the kids for a while.  Perhaps you can have them design the boxes as cars and when they are done put on a movie for your own in home drive in.  FYI- Shoe boxes make great houses, treasure chests.  If your kids don't like the designs on the outside, you can wrap them in plain paper.  Now they can design without some logo in their way.

Holidays- Make a fuss over holidays like Valentine's Day.  Have them make decorations for the house, cards for the family, a special dessert for the occasion.  This year I was a Valentine's Day convert.  All the colorful decorations we made was a nice break from the gray, white, and black dreariness of the outside. Look for those silly holidays online like Pancake Day or work together to make up your own holiday.

Balloons- The awesomeness of having these bad boys on hand happened by accident.  Alice wanted to make a paper mache Earth for a school space project.  I got some balloons for the planet's framework.  The next thing I know the girls are laughing in the living room playing volleyball.  In this vein, I saw a neat idea on Pinterest.  Someone made a set for paddles by gluing thick craft sticks to paper plates.  Balloon ping pong, anyone?  We have not tried this yet.  Perhaps on Sunday when more snow is in the forecast.

Music and Audio Books- Music and dancing is a good way to get some of that pent up kid energy out. Freeze dance is a favorite but sometimes they just make up their own games or adventures to the tunes. Again, the library is a great source of kiddie music or check out Pandora online.  Last year I became sold on audio books (topic of a future post).  Some of the recordings are really great, complete with sound effects and character voices.  I also try to have a hard copy of the book to help the girls focus.  Alice (the reading one) enjoys following the words while Angela likes having the pictures in front of her while hearing the story.

Teaching Time- I have been teaching Alice how to knit this winter.  She knits with a loom and on knitting needles.  Now is a great time to share your passions with your children.  Think of a way to include them in the things that you enjoy.  It is a sneaky way to get more chances to do what you love to do.  On weekends Alice will sit next to me on the couch while we both knit together.  Quality bonding time all around!

Crafts- This is the topic of another future post.  I love crafts and my kids do too.  And here is the best part- you do not have to be artistic or uber creative to do crafts.  There are tons of kits out there in craft stores with easy things to do. Additionally, check out the nonfiction section in your local library's children area. There are some wonderful books with detailed instructions on how to do tons of things.  Most of these activities can be made with things you have on hand already.

Games- Board games, card games, video games.... surprise the kids and play with them.  You will have fun, so long as it is not Chutes and Ladders (hate that game; it really is a layer of Hell to me).

These are just some of the things we have done so far this winter.  Feel free to add your winter indoor fun in the comments section.  

Knitting Hugs

A few months ago, a friend of my husband contacted him with a request for me.  M is a nurse who works in the pediatric NCIU at a local hospital.  Although we had not met in person, M and I had become friends on Facebook due to our love of knitting and books. 

The kiddies were in bed and John and I were (gasp) relaxing on the couch.  He was catching up on his Facebook news feed while I was knitting.  John broke the silence.

“M wants to know if you could knit some blankets for the babies in her unit.  She felt odd asking you directly.”

“Why would she feel odd asking me that?”  I asked as I looked up from my project.

“It is for the babies who don’t make it,” he replied.  “Apparently, a lot of people get weirded out at the thought and refuse to make the blankets for them.”

I have to admit that I felt a bit weirded out at the prospect myself.  Usually, I knit something out of happiness- a birth, a “thinking of you” gift.  It seemed wrong to connect my knitting to something as dreadful as the loss of an infant.  And then, my sense of obligation kicked in.  A while back Angela had to stay in the hospital for epilepsy testing.  Everything turned out fine, but those were probably two of the most stressful and anxious days/nights of my life.  While we were there, one of the nurses came in with a handmade blanket for Angela.  It was love at first snuggle for her.  When I saw the joy that blanket brought to her, I made an internal pledge to knit something for the hospital. 

When the universe is so direct, one has no choice.  It was time to repay my debt.

“Tell M I would be happy to do it,” I told John.  “Have her email me the specifics like yarn type and size.” 

About a week later, M emailed me and I headed to the store to pick up some yarn for the blankets.  I looked at all the baby yarns with a heavy heart and finally selected a super soft and cuddly light pink.  When I got home, I looked through my knitting encyclopedia for a suitable stitch pattern.  I knit up my gauge swatch, did the necessary math, and wrote my pattern.  I put the project away and got caught up in the hustle and bustle of my typical day.  Still, even the rushing to dance and helping with homework, did not distract me enough from my thoughts about the family that would receive this blanket.  It upset me that sorrow would greet something I crafted loop by loop.  Then, a profound realization came over me that lifted my sadness and replaced it with a sense of purpose.  It is only in our modern times that death of a loved one has become such an isolated event.  It is odd how in this time of seeming interconnectedness we have actually become more alone.  Death used to be more of a community thing.  Mary did not go to prepare her son’s crucified body alone.  Other women came to assist her and to provide comfort.  Just as there used to be community quilting bees for happy events, those women would also prepare burial cloths.  And then, another thought came to me.  I was not creating a shroud for a lost baby.  Rather, I was creating a hug for that baby’s family.  I was providing them not only with a tangible reminder of their departed angel but with a sense that they did not have to shoulder their grief alone.  Somewhere out there was someone who acknowledged their loss.  There was someone who saw that their child’s birth and brief presence on this earth deserved acknowledgement through a handmade gift.

The other day M informed me that the two pink blankets I crafted went to a set of micro preemies.  I prayed for the family and went to the craft store for some more yarn.  I need to knit some more hugs.